Francis m



v PATENTED MAY 5, 1868. P. HOWARD & D. w. AVERY. DITUHING AND GRADING MACHINE.

I HHIHI aw/do); I f jar/414% Quint giants 323mm: @ffirr.

FRANCIS M. HOWARD AND DANIEL W. AVERY, ()FYST. PAUL, INDIANA.

Letters Patent No. 77,487, dated ilfay 5. 1868.

tat-Peeves streams are GRADIHGd tennis.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: p v I Be itknown that we, FRANCIS M. Hownnn and DANIEL W. A'vnar, of-St. Paul, in the county of Decatur, and State'of Indiana, have invented a new and improvedDitching-lllachine; and we do hereby declare that the following is a'full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in theart to make and. use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, formingpart of this specification.

This invention relates to a new and improved method of constructing machines for ditching, and for excavoting dirt, whereby the same are"more simple in construction, more eil'ective in operation, not liable to get clogged 'or out of, repair, and which can easily be adjusted for the plough to run at any desired depth. It consists in the construction ofth-e plough, and the combination of the same with the elevator-beam and the slotted side-irons of the plough. It consists, also, of an endless-carrier belt, to which are attached metaljaws, passing over and driven by toothed wheels, in combination with the ground or driving-wheclsof the machine,

by means of which, said groundqvheols communicating motion throngh a spur-gear wheel and spur-gear pinion to said toothed wheels, said endless-carrier belt is driven, so that the dirt loosened by the plough is carried by said belt over the rear end of the machine. In the accompanying plate of drawings- Figure 1 is a. side view of our invention, a portion of the frame being removed to show the construction.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the same. i 'Figure 3 is a detail view of the under side .of the endless belt. Figure ffis a detail cross-section of the some, showing the manner of securing the carricr-jaws'to the belt.

a 'i's th e'frume of the niachinc. b is the elevator or carrier-beam. d are the ground-wheels. e is a spur gear wheel on shaft'A A is the main shaft. f is a spur-gear pinion on shaft G. g are toothed wheels on shaft G, by means of. which motion is communicated to the endless-carrier belt B. B is the endless-carrier belt.

a are metallic jaws 0n belt B. a arerivets securing jaws d to bclt B. m are the slotted side-irons of the plough.

D is a rod passing through the frame a and the slots in the side-irons mv 'n are nuts on red D, on the inside of the frame a to hold the side irons m to the'frame a. n are nuts on the said rod D, on the outside of the frame a, to hold said rod Din the frame a. e is the'plough. d is an attachment to frame a, by means of which the machine is drawn. II are uprights or supportsto support shaft G. g are metallic plates, by means of which .thc' carrier-beam b is pivoted to the shaft G..

The frame a is composed of two parallel beams, secured together by suitable end-pieces, of such length nnd'of such distance apart as to receive the carrier-beam b,'and allow the same to move freely between the beams and end-pieces of the frame a, as shown in-the drawing.

To the under side of the benms'of the frame a, and near to the rear end of the same, and rotating in suitable boxes attached thereto, is an iron shaft or axle, A. Said axle A extends across from one of said beams to the other, and beyond the same, as shown in the drawing, so as to receive the wheeled, said wheels 02 being keyed to the ends of said axle A in the ordinary way. Said wheels 01 may be madeof cast iron or other suitable material, and of any convenient diameter. We preferfthein about the diameter of thirty-two inches. Said wheels (I are provided upontheir circumference with teeth or cogs, which prevent the said wheels from slipping on the ground. Upon the saidaxle or shaft A, and between one of the wheels at and the frame a, and nearer to said frame a, is keyed a spur-gear wheel, Y p

Upon the upper sides or edges of the beams of the frame a, and nearly over the axle A, and rigidly secured to said frame a, are two uprights or-supports II, provided with suitable hearings to support the shaft G, in which said bearings said shaft G rotates. Upon each end of thc'shaft G, andhetween the bearings of the same, and so as to be seven inches apart, or thereabouts, are two metallic plates 9, between which is secured one end ofthe elevator or carrier-beam b',iii."suei-,-a manner as that carrier-beam b will turn upon the shaft G as upon a pivot. l

Between and near to said plate a, and keyed upon the axle G, are two toothed wheels 9 which, by the teeth or spurs in the circumference thereof, ciigagingwith the ribs of the metallic jaws (t of the belt B, carry the said belt 13 around with said toothed wheels 9 The other or front end of the elevator or carrier-beam b is pivoted to a roller, R, which said roller R is also piybted to the slotted side-irons m, so that the front end of the elevator or carrier-beam'b maybe raised a or depressed;

The elevator or carrier-beam b may be of any convenient length, but we have found that when made of the length of about nine feet they aremost convenient. v p v The side-irons in are made of metal, and are arcs of a'circle, of about the diameter of eighteen feet, corresp'onding with the are described by the forward end of the carrier-beam b, to which said side-irons arepivoted. This construction-causcsthe plough is, attached tojsaid side-irons'm, to have the same inclination when working in a deep ditch as when working in a shallow one; 'Said side-irons m are provided with a slot through nearly the entire length of the some, above the roller'R, to receivoth-e rorl D, upon which said side-irons in move when the elevator or carrier-beam b is being. elevated or depressed; said rod D being provided with nuts, n, which, by'being turned upon screw-threads upon said rodfhold the said elevator or earrier beam bat any required eleyation, there being one of said side-irous irpivoted to each side of the said elevator or carrier-beam 6. Below the roller R the said side-irons mars bent forward, and upon the same isfirmly secured the plough e.

' The plough e is made of any convenient fo'rin, as of a metallic plate, sharpened out on the forward edge, and curving upward and backward,"so as to reach the top of the roller R, ns shown, and is secured to the side irons m in such a way as that the same may be easily removed at any time, and another plough substitute its place. The roller R turns upon the same pivot which secures the side-irons m to the elevator or carrier-beam b, and may be of any convenient size to guide the endless'belt B, so as that the same willpass, in the motion of the samebuckward, near to theupper and back edge of the plough e, so-that the dirt loosened by-thc plough e will be earried'baelrward by said endless belt B.

'Tbe endless-earrier belt B is made of leather or'ot'ber suitable material, of about the width of seven inches,

, having across the same the metallic jaws'a, riveted to said belt by the rivetsa", as shown, sufiicient space being allowed between said jaws a to receive the teeth of the wheels 9, and so as to form an endless flexible trough, of about three inches jeep and seven inches wide. 4

To the front end of the frame a is any convenient metallic. attachment, (2', to receive a chain, by means,

of whi'ch the machine is drawn. To the front end of the frame a may also lie securedany convenient apparatus foriraising andiowering the forward end of the elevator or carrier-beam a as a rack andpinion, whereby the plough may be adjusted to ditches of differing depths.

The spurgear wheel e and pinion fund the wheels 9 are constructed with respect to size and the number of teeth contained in each respectively, so as that the inot'ionof thebeltB will be faster than the forward motion of the machin'e,'in the proportion of nine to one, whereby the dirt loosened by the plough a will be very rapidly .carried backward and discharged, so as not to clog 'or hinder the machine,

' The operation'js readily seen from the drawing.

Constructed as above described, it constitutes a durable ditcher or excavator, the advantiiges of which are that the samc-is-not likelyfltoxgetjoutjof repair, and which is not likely to clog, and which may be easily adjustedit o' ditches of dilfering depths. V I I j v i v We claim issuers and desire to secure by Letters Patent-- I 1. Theadjustable slotted 'guid'es m, 'ineombination with the lplough or cutterie, substantially'os and for the purposes set forth} n 2'. In combination with t p I the belt B. and. the pivoted carrier-beam b, all constructed, arranged, and. operating as and for the purposes a i forth. c,

The above specificatinn'of our'inv'cntion signed b us, this day of l p p FRANCIS M. HOWARD,-

' l o v DANIELLW. AVERY;

Witnesses: 1

Jenn Daumuoun, Barnum Jemima."

I he above, andw'ith the toothed wheel g and shaft G, we claim the jaws a, riveted'to 

